Iran’s Withdrawal from JCPOA Not in Europe’s Interest: Kharrazi

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations Kamal Kharrazi said the country’s possible pullout from the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would not be in the interest of European countries.

Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from a Norwegian think tank in Tehran on Tuesday, Kharrazi highlighted the EU’s failure to create the special purpose vehicle (SPV), the mechanism aimed at facilitating trade with Iran in the US sanctions era, and said the Islamic Republic expected that the EU as a party to the JCPOA would take a practical measure to save the deal.

However, the Europeans have not taken any measure under US pressures and this has disappointed Iranians who have been committed to the JCPOA, the official stated.

He further warned that Iran’s possible move to walk away from the nuclear deal and its outcomes would not be in the interest of the European governments and the security of the region and Europe.

The European Union has vowed to counter US President Donald Trump’s renewed sanctions on Iran, including by means of a new law to shield European companies from punitive measures.

On May 8, the US president pulled his country out of the JCPOA, the nuclear deal that was achieved in Vienna in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).

Following the US exit, Iran and the remaining parties launched talks to save the accord.

Trump on August 6 signed an executive order re-imposing many sanctions on Iran, three months after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.

He said the US policy is to levy “maximum economic pressure” on the country.

The second batch of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic took effect on November 4.